Witness
by VampGirlKinsie
Summary: Bella moves to college and befriends Alice. She takes a movie making class, and while filming a project, witnesses a murder. What happens when the killer finds out that there is a witness? It becomes the hunt of a lifetime.
1. Goodbye

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, creator of one of my favorite people-Edward Cullen.

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_Prologue_

**Goodbye**

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Bella's Point of View

I tugged at my suitcase and began to pull it downstairs to my truck. About half way down, I tripped on my shoe, sending me tumbling down the stairs, my overloaded bag right behind me.

"Bella?" my dad Charlie called, his voice was colored with worry. He jumped up from the couch and hurried over to help me. My dad was in his usual attire for an afternoon off, an oversized, wrinkled t-shirt, and his faded sweat pants. For being over fifty, my dad actually looked quite young. Not one gray hair speckled his matt of rusty brown curls, and his brown eyes were surrounded by only light laughter lines. Ever since I can remember he has looked like that, never giving in to the monthly styles that determined if you were 'in' or looked your age.

After making sure that I was okay, he and I headed out the front door to load up my belongings in my vehicle. I grimaced at the thought of my truck. _Ugh, it is getting pretty old._ In high school it had been perfect, but now it was starting to show its true age. _I guess that as long as it doesn't break down on the way, I should have enough money for gas to get there._ I looked up from my thoughts to see that my truck problems would no longer be a concern. Sitting in the exact spot where I parked my rusty red truck this morning was a shiny, white Volkswagen Jetta! A squeal of surprise escaped my lips as I turned to my dad and gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you Dad!" I exclaimed. He hesitated a moment before he returned the hug.

"You're welcome. I know that old truck wouldn't have made it very far, so I made a deal with this antique collector in Seattle. He bought this vehicle and said that it went too fast for his liking and gave it to me for practically nothing," he stated, as he half grinned, proud of his bargaining skills.

At that moment he glanced at his watch, knowing that these were the last few minutes with me until Christmas. We loaded the car with my stuff when I heard a sniffle. _Uh oh. Dad never gets emotional, this can't be good._ Although my insides were begging me to release my sadness, I held my tears back and tried to lighten the mood. "Well Dad, thanks for everything. I guess its time to go meet the beach hotties," I hinted hoping to get a rise out of him. He wasn't paying that much attention though, and my emotions were not longer listening to my pleas to stay contained. "I love you Dad. I'm gonna miss you a bunch," I said as I hugged him once more before climbing into the car. I pushed the button to roll down the window and my dad stuck his head partially in.

"I love you too, Bells. Be safe. Call me when you get there." His voice crackled out as he tried his best to be strong. He stepped to the side and hit my car twice, his last goodbye. I started the vehicle and drove off, watching my dad wave from a distance in my rear view mirror.

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A/N: This is my first story, so please read it and let me know what you think!  
3 Kinsie


	2. Welcome to Cali

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters…but I do wish I owned Edward :) but then again, who doesn't?

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_Chapter 1_

**Welcome to Cali**

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Bella's Point of View

Two days had now passed and it was noon of the third day. Compared to Forks, Washington, California was way different. The grey clouds that had threatened to rain faded into large, puffy cotton balls, which looked fake against the vibrant blue sky. The sun shone down on the blacktop, making the heat almost unbearable. At least my new car had air conditioning, because I was wearing jeans, and without it I would either be melting or having heat stroke. _I need to go shopping soon for some new clothes_, I thought as I realized last night at the hotel that I only had one pair of shorts packed with me.

The trip so far wasn't too bad, but I could tell that I was in California by the way people drove. By the time that I hit Los Angeles, I had become frustrated with the people who tailgated me when I was going at least twenty over the legal speed limit. When they realized that I wasn't going to speed up more anytime soon, they passed me, welcoming me to California with their middle finger.

A couple of hours later, the coast appeared on my right hand side. The sand was lined with palm trees that fanned shade over the people who were gathered for a day at the beach. Large waves rolled and crashed into the shore, and for miles the clear blue water stretched until it met the sky. _This is amazing!_ I remembered the one time that Charlie had taken me to the beach in Washington. It started raining and I swore to myself that I would never go back. I lightly chuckled at that. _Who would have thought? Years later I'm going to school here, at the beach and in the city! So much for staying 'small town'…_

A large sign to the right said "Welcome to San Diego". I was finally here. A few stop lights later, I turned onto the campus of University of California San Diego. The campus buzzed with excitement as students carried their possessions to their dorms. Slowing down, I watched some guys play a game of touch football out on the lawn, shirts versus skins, while a group of students gathered on the steps of the dorm building and placed bets as to what team would win. Mentally, I placed my own bet, _skins. _I continued driving until I found the parking lot for my dorm building.

_Whoa_. This was not what I was expecting. The building was huge, at least five stories tall, with wrap around balconies. A fountain graced the front entrance, where students were gathered, greeting each other with high fives and hugs. Nervous that I was in the wrong place, I reached for the papers that I had received a few weeks ago about my room assignment.

_Dear Miss Bella Swan,_

_We are very excited to hear that you will be joining us this fall at the University of California, San Diego. We hope that you have had a spectacular summer and that your travels here are safe_. _As you have probably heard, our facilities here are top notch and we are proud to announce the opening of our newest dorm rooms in the Cullen-Hale Hall. Listed below are your rooming assignment and your roommate along with some of their interests to help your stay in San Diego to be easier. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your room, please contact the student services office._

_Room: Cullen- Hale Hall, room 207_

_Roommate: Alice, a sophomore who is majoring in fashion designing and merchandising. She enjoys shopping, talking, and giving makeovers. In her free time she likes…_

I laughed, thinking about how this sounded like a singles add that someone would put in the paper. _Well, looks like this is my new home_, I noted as I stared at the large sign declaring that this was indeed Cullen-Hale Hall. I took the papers and popped the trunk to get my things out. As I struggled to pull my bags out, a guy interrupted me.

"Do you need help?" he offered. I turned to look at him, and I was greeted with a guy who had wavy blonde hair. He towered over me, by at least a foot, which would make him well over six feet. I leaned back to get the full effect. I guess I didn't say anything for a while because he looked at me in amusement and offered his hand to me.

"I'm Gavin," he said, in a deep voice. This finally broke the trance I was in, so I took his hand and shook it.

"I'm Bella, nice to meet you." I offered him a friendly smile.

Seeing that he hadn't completely scared me with his unusual height, he asked again, "So Bella, can I help you with your bags?"

I nodded and with ease he took out my over-stuffed suitcase. I grabbed my small duffel and we headed off towards the Cullen-Hale building. After telling him what room I was in, he laughed.

After seeing the confused look on my face he explained, "Oh, sorry. It's just that, the floor you are on is the floor that I am the RA for this year." We made small talk until we got to my room. I took out my keys and unlocked the door. Just as we were setting my stuff down, a small girl carrying at least four oversized bags burst through the door. _What's a little girl doing here?_ I did a double-take and saw that I was mistaken. She wasn't a young girl, but a female about my age who was incredibly tiny and had black spiky hair that poked out in every direction. At that moment I realized this must be Alice. She must have known who I was, too, because the next thing I knew, she dropped all of her bags and ran over to me.

"Bella?" she asked timidly, and I nodded. All traces of hesitance disappeared as she bubbled with excitement. "Oh, how exciting it is to finally meet you! This year is going to be amazing! I can't wait. Is that your bag? Oh, that won't do, we'll just have to go shop-"

A gruff cough interrupted her ramblings. _Oops._ I had forgotten that Gavin was still there. "If you ladies will excuse me, I've got to go." He mumbled as he slipped out of the door, but not without a quick wink towards me.

I turned back towards Alice, whose dainty face held a smile like the Cheshire cat. "I see you have made friends with our RA. Gavin's a pretty neat guy; we used to go to high school together back in the day." I smiled back and thought about my high school friends back home. _Home, _I thought, wistfully, _my friends, my room, and my dad. Dad. Wait a minute…_

"Aw! I forgot to call my dad; I was supposed to call hours ago. I should go make that call." I groaned as I reached for my cell phone and saw that I had ten missed calls. _Poor guy, he's probably having a heart attack because I haven't called yet_. So I dialed home and after a two rings my dad answered.

"Hello?" my dad said.

"Dad! It's me!" I clarified, my guilt immediately lifting from my shoulders.

"Bells! Oh thank goodness! I was so worried about you. Did you make it there okay? Did you get your dorm room yet? Have you met your roommate?" he questioned me rapidly.

_Just like Dad, ask every little detail. _I sighed, "Yes Dad, I'm here, finally. I just finished putting my stuff in my room and my roommate walked in like five minutes ago."

"What's her name again?"

"Alice. She's really nice, she reminds me of neighbor Jim's daughter Laura." I replied.

"Haha! Yeah that little girl is a firecracker- can't contain her joy for the life of her!" I could hear him laughing on the other side. He continued, "Remember when she insisted on redoing your closet and when you came home from school all of your clothes were in the trash?" Now I laughed too.

"Yeah," I remembered, "she said that my fashion sense was crimped! What was she then, only thirteen?"

"Seems so long ago," my dad sounded sad again, "little kids don't stay that way forever." He drifted off, and I knew that we were no longer talking about Laura.

"I miss you Dad." Tear welled up in my eyes and I quickly wiped them away.

"I know, I miss you too Bells," he said. In the background I heard the doorbell ring. "Hey Billy!" he yelled into the phone, forgetting that I was on the other side.

"Dad." He didn't answer me. "Dad!" I yelled this time.

"Huh? What? Oh yeah, Bells, I have to go, Billy's over to watch the football game." He said, distracted.

"That's okay. I'll call you later this week. I love you Dad." I said.

"I love you too, Bells."

"Bye." As soon as the phone snapped shut, Alice pounced on the opportunity to talk.

"Should we unpack now then eat? Or eat then unpack?" she asked eagerly.

"Actually, I ate a big lunch, I went to this place called Fuddrucker's. My friend back home always talks about how she goes there every time she comes to visit her dad in California, so I thought I would try it." I answered while I patted my stomach and Alice nodded understanding.

"Yeah, the first time I went there, I kept going back to the bakery for those amazing chocolate chip cookies!" Her eyes widened as she spoke. Her face was so funny as she reminisced that I couldn't contain my laughter. We both grabbed our luggage and placed it on our beds so we could unpack.

Forty-five minutes later, my half of the room was unpacked and put away, so I decided to check up and see how my new friend was doing. She had her back turned towards the closet, her arms spread out, as she leaned back attempting to squeeze it all of her clothes inside so that she could close to door. This worked until she would drop her right hand to grab the door. The moment she let go, designer blouses, jeans, and dresses would spring to life and pop right back out. I sat on the bed and enjoyed the entertainment, as she attempted to do it again, laughing quietly to myself when she received the same results.

A few minutes later, she gave up and looked at my half of the room. Compared to hers, it was simple: a navy comforter with bright blue sheets, a Linkin Park poster, and an alarm clock. My closet was nowhere near as full as hers, so I was able to put my book collection and other things inside there.

"Where's all your stuff?" she questioned me with a look of confusion.

"Uh… unpacked and in the closet." I spoke slowly, looking around the room to see if I had missed something. Before I knew it Alice sprinted across the room and flung open my closet door.

A gasp escaped from her as she turned to me. "Where are all your clothes at?" she asked in shock. I looked at her like she was crazy, thinking, _Right in front of you on the second shelf_.

"This is NOT going to work. We need to go shopping, now!" And with that her small fingers curled around my wrist and pulled me out the door.

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A/N: So what do you think? Reviews please!  
3 Kinsie


	3. Adventures with a Shopaholic

Disclaimer: I own Twilight, and it sits happily on my bookshelf next to New Moon. What else did you expect? For me to be Stephenie Meyer? Ha- I wish…

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_Chapter 2_

**Adventures with a Shopaholic**

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Bella's Point of View

As soon as we arrived at the mall, Alice's eyes hungrily took in the sight. Standing before us was the mall to complete all malls. It was huge! While I was gaping in amazement, Alice dashed off, so that all I could see was her black spiky hair bobbing up and down through the sea of shoppers. I chased after her, afraid of getting lost in this place. I soon found her in a store called Anthropologie, digging through racks, quickly collecting a pile of clothes in her arms. Approaching her, I stopped when I saw the cutest blue top. I picked it up, examining it and trying to imagine how it would look on me. My eyes however, instinctively found the price tag. $85.00.

"What!?" I guess I said that out loud, and very loud for that matter, because every person in the store seemed to pause and look at me. Blushing with embarrassment at my outburst, I put the top back down.

"Oh, good. I found you!" Alice called as she waddled up to me with a huge grin on her face, the pile towering over her small frame. She placed it in my arms, dropping some of the clothes in the process. "Now, go over there and try these on." She pointed towards a dressing room in the back. "When you get the first outfit on, come out so that I can see how it looks." Her small arms gave me a push in the direction of the dressing room.

As I tried to resist her efforts, I sighed, "Alice, I can't. This is too much, I can't afford this." And with that I handed her back the pile of clothes.

"Don't worry," she chuckled, "who said that _you_ were buying them? Besides it's the least I can do for my new roommate. We're practically sisters now!" We shuffled towards the small rooms in the back of the store.

"But-" I began to protest but was cut off by Alice, who was starting to get impatient.

"Now don't fuss and just try them on." She turned to leave and I let out a groan. Her head whipped around, revealing a mischievous smile. "If you don't, then we will also get pedicures, manicures, and a full makeover at Sephora."

_Why must she do this? I hate it when people worry about me, I can take care of myself. Besides, why would she want to buy all this stuff for me? _I thought as I trudged to the dressing room. In the short amount of time that I had known her, she told me of her shopping excursions and I knew that if I didn't put up a fight, she might end up buying the whole store for me. With the thought of her trying to spend even more money on me, I grabbed the clothes and rushed through, trying them on and modeling them for Alice. After each outfit change, she would pick what was "hot" and what was "not". When we finally finished, she refused to let me go to the counter with her to pay. Minutes later, our arms were filled with bags and we continued down the line of stores.

After eight repeats of this at different stores, I was exhausted and starting to get frustrated with my roommate's constant chatter about the world of fashion. I needed to escape. While Alice was in the dressing room, I set my bags down and walked out of the store. _Hopefully she won't get mad at me._ Sauntering down the over-crowded walkways of the mall, I made a few random turns and got lost in the sea of people. _I didn't think that so many bodies could be in one place at one time._ Normally I would be panicked by now and regretting my decision, but instead I didn't care. I carelessly passed another row of stores before I found myself in front of a coffee shop that was tucked in between some trinket stores. It looked like a safe place to hide: people on the inside talking comfortably, not too crowded or empty. A sign hung in the door claiming that it had the best hot chocolate around. _Hmm. I wonder if it is, maybe I should try some_. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to try, I walked in.

Coffee, strong and sweet wafted in the air, immediately allowing my tense posture to relax. A classical tune played. It sounded like Debussy, but I wasn't sure because the hum of people talking caused it to fade into simply a background noise. I quickly spotted a table for two in the back corner by the staff entrance and chose to sit there.

As I was about to sit down, the staff door flew open and a guy about my age walked out. I sucked in my breath and held it- this guy was gorgeous! He was tall and lean, yet somehow showed some great biceps through his uniform polo. His skin was flawlessly pale, with the exception of a few freckles that dotted his face. A mess of bronze hair flowed along his forehead as he rushed by me. I shrunk down, trying to let him pass without having him see me, but fate had planned otherwise. He bumped into me, causing me to stumble backwards. One of his slender hands shot out and grabbed me, steadying me.

"Excuse me miss, I'm very sorry." I looked into his eyes as he spoke- big mistake.

I gulped down another breath. His eyes were a sparkling emerald green and they immediately took me in. When his eyes met mine, I noticed that his face was drawn into a complex expression: one that contained worry, frustration, and humor all in one. Quickly I blushed and looked away, feeling a pang of sadness from his reaction to me. He dropped his hand and continued through the shop, and then I noticed that he was talking animatedly on his cell phone. His long stride carried him gracefully out the door- and as he walked past a couple of women, he received lustful and longing looks behind his back.

_He probably has a girlfriend, and what are the odds that I would see him again anyways? After all, this city is pretty big compared to Forks_, I thought as I tried to forget him. I sat down at the table. A sigh escaped from me as I crossed my arms and laid my head down, finally realizing how exhausted I really was. Closing my eyes, I listened to the droning lullaby of blenders and voices. Not aware of how much time had passed, I continued to sit in my vegetative state until I was dragged back into reality.

"Excuse me, miss?" A slender hand gently tugged on my shoulder. My head jerked up involuntarily at an alarming rate to be met with Mr. Green Eyes himself.

"Yes?" I half mumbled, half yawned in response. _Wow, I need to go to bed early tonight. I didn't think I was that tired. _I shook my head and blinked my eyes a couple of time to clear my eyes danced in amusement as I did this and a smile formed on his lips.

"Well, uh, I was wondering if you would like a cup of coffee. You look like you could use one, no offense. I'll put it on the house." He smiled politely and I realized that he was trying to make amends for running into me earlier. Although I enjoyed the thick scent of coffee, I did not enjoy the flavor. I must have been grimacing, because when I looked back at him, he looked slightly puzzled at my reaction to a free cup of Joe.

Quickly recovering and I explained to him, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I'm not a big fan of coffee." I sent him an apologetic smile, hoping that he would simply understand and leave before I unconsciously tried some cheesy pick up line on him.

"No problem, how about some hot chocolate?" he pressed.

_Wow, he must have a really guilty conscience or I really do look that tired_, I thought because he still didn't give up _and_ he sent me another dazzling smile.

Finally giving in, I said, "Sure." With that he disappeared through the door to the kitchen.

Edward's Point of View

In my hands were two cups of fresh hot chocolate from the kitchen. Before I walked through the door, I wished myself luck and hoped that the brown-eyed girl on the other side wouldn't refuse my less-than-pathetic offer to sit and talk with her.

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A/N: So what do you think? Honestly it is very frustrating to find that you have over 100 hits and only two reviews. Please, please review! (with a cherry on top!)  
3 Kinsie


	4. Cocoa and Surpirses

Disclaimer: Nope. Not Stephenie Meyer, don't own the characters...I just mess with what they do!

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_Chapter 3_

**Cocoa and Surprises**

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Bella's Point of View

A few minutes later Green Eyes came out holding two steaming cups in his hands. "San Diego's finest cup of cocoa," he stated when he placed it before me.

"Thank you," I took a sip, "very good too."

"It's a secret recipe and it's why we are one of a kind." He stated while smiling proudly, but for some reason he was shifting nervously from foot to foot. _What's up with him?_ Then my eyes trailed to the other cup in his hand.

"Would you like to join me?" I nodded to the cup in his hand.

He let out a breath and laughed nervously, "Gee, you must read minds. I was just about to ask if it was okay." A smile of one hundred watts shone in my direction as he sat across from me.

"As long as it's okay with your boss, then I guess its okay with me." _Whoa girly, where did that come from?_ I smiled slyly.

"Well now that you mention it…" he trailed off. _Oh no. Why did I have to say that! Stupid, stupid Bella!_

"I was just kidding!" I blurted it out in a rush.

Seeming to notice my sudden panic, he grinned even wider. "I'm on lunch break."

"Oh. Ok." My cheeks were now tinted a bright rose color. There were a few moments of awkward silence before he spoke up.

"Uh, I wanted to apologize for running into you earlier, I was very preoccupied and was not looking where I was going. So I am very sorry." Sincerity rang in his voice.

"Don't worry about it. I'm pretty used to falling. Me and the floor are best friends." I smiled weakly as I thought about the many times that my 'best friend' had sent me to the hospital. My family doesn't call me Breakable Bella for nothing.

"So why don't we start over? I'm Edward." _Surprisingly it suits him, old fashioned yet, right. Ok, now calmly say your name, you can do it._

My hand shot out eagerly betraying me. "I'm Bella." He shook my hand firmly.

"So Bella, what brings you here?" I was in the middle of taking a drink of my hot chocolate when he asked, so I quickly swallowed it, burning my tongue in the process. _Ow._

"Well, I actually just moved here today for school. I needed some stuff so my new roommate brought me here and after awhile we got separated so I just kinda wandered until I found this place." _Ok, so it's not the whole story, but who said I had to spill my life story to someone I've barely met?_

"So you're a school girl huh? What's your major?" For some reason he had an overly curious look in his eyes, like he knew something I didn't and that it was funny.

Edward's Point of View

_Maybe today was my lucky day. First I run into this girl, then she agrees to talk with me, and now I find out that we go to school together! I wonder what her major is…_ "So you're a school girl huh? What's your major?"

"I'm majoring in secondary education; I want to be a high school teacher back home." She got quiet, like she wanted to say more, but was afraid to.

"So where exactly is home at?" _Probably not around here. You would have to be crazy to want to teach high school students from southern California. They are all so- what's the right word? Deranged? Psychotic? _

"Forks, Washington. It's a small town that has three stop lights and everyone knows everyone." She sighed.

"Sounds like it's pretty different from here. But you get used to the city life after awhile, it's not so bad."

"I know, I just miss my family. But at least I've already made some friends already, that'll help."

"Seriously, my first year I felt lost without my family, but I eventually got really good friends who pretty much are my family now." Images of my buddies Jasper and Emmett flashed in my head.

"That's good. So what about you? Tell me something I don't know." _Bring it on_, I thought.

"I'm majoring in music at UCSD. I have a sister who is a shop-a-holic and who is one of my best friends. I like cheeseburger pizza, and I make a mean strawberry banana smoothie." I smiled as she took this all in.

"Music, really? I could see that. And your sister sounds like my roommate- they would probably be best friends. As for the cheeseburger pizza…I'm not quite sure how to take that. Is that even possible?" Her nose was scrunched up as she gave me a funny look.

"Yeah. You should try it some time." Somewhere off in the distance I heard someone ask for me at the coffee counter. I turned around to see my sister. _Took her long enough._ Not that I minded, because every minute that she was late meant another minute spent with Bella. I heard a gasp behind me and quickly turned back towards Bella asking, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just surprised that my roommate was here. This doesn't seem like a place that she would come to." I followed her gaze over my shoulder and saw that she was staring in astonishment at my sister. _Wow. What a small world. Even in this big city, it gets smaller and smaller._

"Huh. That's your roommate?" She nodded and I chuckled. "Well, that's weird because that's my sister." I couldn't hold in the laughter anymore, it spilled over until Bella caught on and joined me. We both looked at Alice, who was now prancing happily over to our table after the worker behind the counter pointed towards us. When she got to us she stopped and looked at us puzzled.

"Uh, Edward?" _Yes sister?_ "What are you doing here with my roommate?" Her tiny face contorted in confusion.

"Well. You see Alice, I work here. Everyday, from eight to five. That's what I'm doing here." I gave her my smarty-pants smile and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"You know what I mean."

At that moment, Bella broke into out sibling moment saying, "Actually it was a fluke that we met. I just happened to walk in here on a whim."

"Ok. Well now that I'm here, can you make me an 'Awesome Alice' please Edward!" Alice pushed out her lower lip and gave me the saddest puppy dog face.

Giving in, I replied, "Sure. Give me a minute." And with that I walked back through the kitchen doors.

Bella's Point of View

I was still in shock at the lucky break that I had just had. The cutest and most polite guy that I had ever met, and thought that I would never see again after today, was my roommate's brother! Edward at that point got up and walked back into the kitchen to make an 'Awesome Alice'. _Wonder what's in it. Hopefully not too much caffeine, we all know that she doesn't need any. _To prove my point, I looked over at Alice who had taken Edward's seat and was bouncing happily up and down.

"So what do you think of my brother?" Excitement lit her eyes and she eagerly questioned me.

"He's really nice?" It came out more of a question rather than an answer.

"What type of answer is that? Come on! Give me the scoop! How did you guys meet, what did you talk about, are you going to go on any dates, that sort of stuff!" The tiny pixie leaned forward in her seat like she was ready to receive the biggest secret in history.

"After leaving, I got a little lost and this place looked pretty safe so I came in. As I was about to sit down, your brother walked out of the door and we ran into each other. He was on the phone, so he went outside to talk while I sat down and started to doze off. I hadn't noticed that he came back in when he offered me a free drink. So we just sat and talked about stuff while we drank our hot chocolates. That's it." My shoulders shrugged. _Too bad 'that's it' I wish there was more._

"Oh, okay." Her voice sounded disappointed. But then she immediately perked up. "There's still the ice cream social!"

"Excuse me?" _What is that girl talking about?_

"You don't know? It's the all school ice cream social. Well at least the first part of it, then it turns into the biggest party of the year. You should come. Edward always goes." The Cheshire cat grin was back, revealing her pearly whites.

"Well, we'll see. Maybe, but I'm not much of a partier." Right as I said that Edward walked back through the door with a very large orange smoothie in his hand. He handed it off to Alice, who began to slurp mercilessly at it.

"What are you guys talking about?" His clear velvety voice rang in the air.

Alice stopped drinking long enough to answer him, "The ice cream social. I was telling Bella that she should come with us." I guess she thought I wasn't looking at her because her eyebrows wiggled suggestively to Edward and she tilted her head in my direction.

Edwards spoke up, "You should come Bella. I can take you if you want, then you can meet some of my friends." The last part was rushed nervously as he said it.

"Uh, sure. I'd love to go." _As long as you're there._ "When is it?"

"Next weekend." His green eyes instinctively looked at his watch. "It was really nice talking to you Bella, and Alice," he nodded his head in acknowledgement, "but sadly, my lunch break is over and I need to get back to work." He smiled sadly.

"No problem. I guess I'll see you next weekend?" Returning the smile, my voice carried my emotions of hope and eagerness for the week to pass quickly.

"You bet. See you then." Turning back into the kitchen, he disappeared again. Alice's voice took my attention from the door to her face.

"So shall we go then?" Alice's voice was sugar sweet.

"Yeah, I have my first class tomorrow at ten. Let's get the stuff and hit the road." My hands went to grab at the shopping bags that we had collected from the day, when I noticed that they weren't there. "Where's all the stuff at?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's safe in the car. I put it there on the way over here because I knew that Edward would freak out if he saw all the bags that I was carrying." With that said we walked back to the parking lot and headed back to the dorm to prepare for our first day of school.

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A/N: Thanks to those of you who have reviewed! They mean the world to me and push me to keep writing!  
3 Kinsie


	5. First Day of School

Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own- it's all Stephenie Meyer's.

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_Chapter 4_

**First Day of School**

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Bella's Point of View

Come break me down. Bury me! Bury me! I am finished with you, you, you! Look in my eyes, you're killing me, killing me… My alarm clock said that it was 8:35 and 30 Seconds to Mars was singing; indicating that it was time to get moving. Groggily I rolled out of bed and shut the music off before it got any louder. I was a sound sleeper, and according to Charlie, an atomic bomb could go off and I wouldn't flinch and inch. That's why when I was packing the week before, he gave me this alarm clock. Every minute that it was on, the louder the alarm got. In my case the alarm was set to the radio, which is why I had waken up to music. I looked over to Alice to see if my alarm had woke her up. My eyes saw that she was still snoozing, dreaming the morning away.

I walked over to my closet, in search of my bathroom supplies so that I could take a shower before my first class. Before leaving the room, I mentally checked off what I would need. _Shampoo, check. Soap, check. Razor, check. Towel, check. Uh…_ Apparently my brain was not accustomed to working this hard this early in the morning because I couldn't remember what else I needed. I looked around my closest looking for a clue as to what I may be missing. I felt like I was staring at it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I smacked my head with my palm, remembering the obvious. _Clothes Bella, clothes!_ I hurriedly grabbed an outfit that Alice had pre-planned for me last night then quietly slipped through the door and down the hallway to the showers.

The fog that had encased my brain this morning was cleared by the time that I had finished showering. I dressed quickly and then brushed out my hair and looked at the time. 9:08. Less than an hour to finish and find my class. From that point on, I rushed through the rest of my routine of blow drying my hair, brushing my teeth, and applying a light layer of makeup. Twenty minutes later, I walked back to my dorm room to find Alice still sleeping, whilst her alarm screamed at her to wake up. _Ugh. Turn it off, it sounds like a fire alarm._ I desperately searched for the off button on her alarm clock. A few minutes later, I still couldn't find it, so I resorted to waking up my roommate so that she could figure it out herself.

"Alice!" I said, shaking her arm. "Alice, come on, wake up!" She responded by rolling over and placing the pillow over her head.

"Five more minutes mom!" she pleaded, her voice muffled by her pillow.

I decided that it was time to resort to a different approach. Chuckling, I skipped over to my closet and pulled out a Nike shoe box that was hidden in the back corner. I pulled it out and opened the lid, revealing my 'safety/be prepared for anything' stash. Crammed inside the box were Band-Aids, Pepper Spray, Neosporin, a flashlight, a water bottle, and lastly my whistle. I grabbed the small black whistle and twirled it between my fingers, slowly headed towards Alice's bed. Being kind and generous, I decided to give her one last chance.

"Oh Alice, wakey, wakey." I cooed. When I didn't get a response, I bent down by the bed and placed the whistle in my mouth, blowing into it as hard as I could. The results were hilarious. Alice jumped about five feet in the air and off of her bed, tangled in her sheets, eyes scared and darting around the room. I pulled the whistle from my mouth and said, "Good morning sunshine!" I plastered on the cheesiest smile I could and continued, "It's the first day of school!" My smile at once disappeared as I said, "and you need to wake up and turn that alarm off. It's giving me a headache!" Still confused, my roommate looked up at me from the floor.

"Huh?", she blinked numerous times. "Is that a fire alarm?" Her neck went back as she looked up at the ceiling trying to find the smoke setting off the alarm.

"No. That would be your alarm. Can you turn it off? Please?"

She mumbled something and untangled herself from her bedding. Sleepily, she groped around for something. When she finally found it, I saw that it was a remote. _How weird. An alarm clock that turns off with a remote. Never seen one before. What happens if you lose the remote?_ Seconds later the terrible beeping noise ceased and my ears welcomed the silence.

A few minutes later, when Alice was completely awake, I spoke, "Hey, I'm going down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast before class. So I'll see you later!" I grabbed my purse and a messenger bag before heading out the door. When I arrived at the cafeteria, it was mostly empty, with a few stragglers who were eating quietly at separate tables. Walking straight through the line, I only stopped to grab a bagel, an apple, and a container of milk. Once I paid for my meal, I looked at my phone to see what time it was. 9:40. I had twenty minutes until my first class, so I decided to look around for the building it was in. Reaching in my purse, I pulled out a crumpled piece of paper that was my schedule.

_Monday: 10:00-12:00 Modern Algebra, MDB 210  
2:00-3:00 Introduction to Media, VAB 30  
Tuesday: 12:00-2:00 Physics 1, CHB 130  
2:00-3:30 Physics Lab, CHB 132  
Wednesday:8:00 Teaching and Learning Science, EDS 108  
1:00 The Foundations of Mathematics, MDB 274  
Thursday: 12:00 Introduction to Teaching Science, EDB 120  
3:00 English, ENB 318  
Friday: 10:00 Advanced Calculus, MDB 212 _

After seeing that my destination was the math department building, room 210, I looked at the campus map that was strategically placed in front of the cafeteria for visitors to find where it was. The key said that it was about three buildings away from where I was, so I walked in the general direction, eating my bagel on the way. Surprised at how easy it was to find, I entered the room.

Two long hours later, I sauntered back out the door, loaded down with homework, books, and a headache. Mr. Bolinger, my teacher, was an old man with a stylish purple cane and an extremely loud and high-pitched voice. Ten minutes had not passed before I was digging through my purse in search of my compact sized bottle of Advil. At least I didn't have to hear him again until next week, when the six assignments he had assigned were due. I continued walking towards my dorm as I pulled out my phone from my purse and dialed Alice's number.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, it's Bella. I was just checking in to see what you were up to."

"Uh, not too much, I just got out of my Materials Matter class, and I don't have Dresses, Designs, and Disasters until three. What about you?" she asked me.

"Well," I thought for a minute, "I just finished and my next class isn't until two. What time is it?"

"About twelve fifteen. So do you wanna meet for lunch? I met some new people and I want you to meet them! There is this one girl named Sasha and she's a fashion major like me, and then there is Benji, her brother, and Jason her boyfriend, and some other girl named Rosalie. So what do you think?" I could hear the plea in her voice.

"Sounds like fun! So where should we go?" I asked, mentally thinking, _You can do this Bella. Meet new, people, make new friends. You got this girl. _In the phone, I could hear talking on the other side.

Finally Alice responded, "How about Mama Josefina's? It's right off campus, pretty much the best Mexican food without having to go to Mexico. We'll meet you there in ten?"

"Yeah, sounds good. See you then." We hung up and I headed towards the dorm to find my car.

Ten minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of Mama Josefina's. After parking, I got out of my car and was greeted with an over excited Alice who was waving furiously through the window of the restaurant with a huge smile plastered to her face. I couldn't help but smile at the sight, and a sudden flow of eagerness to meet the new people rushed through my veins. Hurriedly, I locked my car and went inside.

When I walked into the restaurant, Alice eagerly patted the seat next to her and I sat down. Once I was settled, Alice began introducing her new friends to me.

"So Bella, this here is Benji, and he's a sophomore." She pointed to the guy sitting directly across from her. He was a small guy, and from the looks of it from an Indian heritage. A pair of glasses framed his eyes and his minuscule hands pushed them up further onto the bridge of his nose.

Benji smiled at me and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella." His voice was thick with a middle eastern accent, confirming my thoughts about his ethnicity.

Alice continued, pointing to the other guy sitting next to Benji saying, "And this is Jason, who is also a sophomore, and he and Sasha are dating." Her small hand flicked quickly towards Sasha, who nodded at me and smiled. Jason had his arm draped loosely over Sasha's shoulder. He was short and muscular, looking like Arnold Swartzennegger before the Terminator days. Sasha was a striking resemblance of Benji, looking like a darkened beauty next to a fair skinned Jason.

I spoke up for the first time and I said, "It's very nice to meet you guys. Now I'll at least know some friendly faces on campus!" I smiled and looked at them.

For the rest of lunch we sat and made friendly conversation. I talked with Benji while we waited for our food and learned that he was also majoring in physics, just not to become a teacher, instead he wanted to create his own research company. After we received our food, we talked very little. Alice wasn't lying when she said that this was as good as it gets- the food was delicious! When we finally finished eating, we each paid for our meal and headed back to the campus. It was 1:45 when I finally got back to my dorm room, so I quickly tossed my math books on my bed and dashed out the door.

Minutes later I was at the visual arts building, and I entered the room. Inside, the walls were covered in posters from movies. Pirates of the Caribbean, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Birds, just to name a few. I looked around in awe, wondering where the professor had gotten all of them. Other students began to trickle in, and I wondered why exactly I was in this class. _Oh yeah, to 'expand my horizons' and to get out of PE, _I thought.A guy with a Star Trek shirt passed me as he was talking to another guy about the film screening and filters that different movies had. _Maybe I should have taken PE. These people are probably like film fanatics; I barely know the basic functions of my video camera. _I sat down in the back, hoping that if the teacher had questions, he would overlook me and pick the eager Star-Treckies in the front row.

The professor walked into the class and the lingering students immediately took a seat. _Wow. Not what I expected, _I thought as I looked at the professor. She had red hair that frizzed down past her shoulders. Her eyes were a misty light blue, and from afar looked almost white. I had never seen eyes like that before they were definitely something else. Tiredly she sat down in her chair and faced the class.

"The greatest filmmakers started off by exploring their talents in home videos." She said.

_Really? _I thought, _I wonder if that's true._

Continuing, the professor said, "and that is what each of you are going to do. Explore your talents, express your thoughts, in your own home video. It is due in three weeks. Instead of meeting for class, your job is to work on your film. If you need help, I will be here during your scheduled class hours to answer questions, but other than that you are on your own. Make it however you want, whatever length you want, and about whatever you want, just be yourself. Three weeks from today. Go." And with that she looked back to her desk and began fumbling around with her laptop, completely ignoring the class.

The students began mumbling to themselves and kept glancing back at the teacher to see if she was going to look back up and say, 'just kidding!'.

"Is she serious? That's like abandonment worse than Megaman did to his sidekick Duraboy in episode 264!" a guy in the front row whispered loudly.

"Oh please! It's like freedom! Get over it you whoosies, just 'casue she isn't babying you every step of the way. Grow up!" a brunette sitting next to him said as she slapped him in the head.

I guess she could no longer take the complaints because our teacher finally looked up and simply said, "Three weeks people. Class dismissed."

* * *

**A/N: Seriously, long time no update. School has started and my brain is on overload, so it's definitely taking more time to write. It may be awhile before I post the next chapter because I want to update and fix my previous chapters so that way I feel like they are 'complete' before I go on with my story. Please write reviews!  
3 Kinsie**


	6. A Walk in the Park

Disclaimer: The Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, but the plot is mine!

* * *

_Chapter 6_

**A Walk in the Park**

* * *

Bella's Point of View

The school week passed by quickly. Quite frankly, I was amazed at how much homework the professors assigned- they gave no mercy. It was now six o' clock on Friday night and I was sitting in my dorm by myself. Alice went to her aunt's house for dinner, which apparently was a monthly tradition. I sighed, _What to do? Oh, what to do?_ I stared blankly at the ceiling, finding random shapes in the stucco. I had finished all but one homework assignment, which I decided to save for later, because I was tired of doing it.

_I guess I could work on my filming project. But what am I going to do?_ I pondered that for a minute. _What's something that is fun, yet me?_ I opened my notebook, ripped out a piece of paper and began writing in my chicken scratch.

_Films Project_

_Things I like…_

_-Books_

_-Traveling_

I racked my brain trying to think of something that I would have a little bit of fun filming but came up blank. Giving up early, I flipped on Alice's mini TV set and found my favorite channel- Fuse. The show called Fuse on Tour was on and they were touring behind the scenes with Paramore. Jared the host, was currently interviewing Hayley Williams the lead singer about what it's like to be on tour.

"So Hayley, do you have any advice to give to the band hopefuls out there?" he asked.

"Just be true to yourself, and don't ever give up."

Then it clicked.

_That's it! My video can be about people giving advice to college students!_

Excited that I had my topic for my video, I gathered my things and went to town.

I parked my car downtown. On the way here, I decided that I was going to simply ask them what advice they had to offer, and film it candid. After placing the new blank CD in my recorder and set off down the street. I passed a couple of people sitting at a bus stop and decided to make them my first interviewees. _Breathe deep Bella, pull a Nike and "Just Do It." _

"Uh… hi," I nervously stated as the two ladies and one man stared back at me, "my name is Bella and I'm doing a project for my filming class- would you mind helping me? Just by answering one question?"

The lady in a red parka answered first. "Sure dear, now what do you need?"

"Oh wow…" _It worked!_ I thought. I fumbled to open my camcorder and then asked, "As a new college student, I was wondering if you had any advice to give that would help me."

She sat for a minute thinking, then replied, "Well, I would say the most important thing would be to keep up on your school work. Don't fall behind, and read, read, read!" Satisfied with her answer she nodded her head as the other lady sitting next to her spoke up.

"Use protection!" The man next to her choked when she said this.

_Oh no, I can't believe she just said that. But I guess in the society that we live in it makes sense…_

After a few more minutes of talking and filming, I thanked them and headed on down the street. Feeling more confident after the bus stop, I headed into a nearly empty diner. There was one guy in the corner, but other than that, the waitresses were all gathered at the bar stools chatting away. One paused from her conversation and looked up at me.

"Just one?" she asked.

"Um… well actually I was wondering if you all would like to help me with a project?" and I continued to explain it.

"Ok, sounds painless. Ask away!" the oldest one agreed eagerly.

"What advice do you have for college students?"

The young waitress on the far left answered first, "Save your money. Otherwise you get stuck working jobs in between classes, like me." To prove her point she made a sad face, and I giggled at it.

"Study groups helped my little brother through it," another offered.

"Don't worry about the freshman fifteen- you loose it from all the stress."

"Join a fraternity! I pledged and it was a blast!"

The cook in the back stuck his head out, wondering what the commotion was about.

"Dan, what advice do you have for college students?"

He replied, "Have a loud alarm clock so you can get to class on time. The professors don't care if you miss class, but your grades do."

As soon as he said this I suppressed my laughter thinking, _That will _not_ be a problem in our room._

For the next hour, I continued walking down the street asking random people what advice they would give. Not all people, however, were willing to help. Like this one guy that I had asked.

He just looked at me and said, "Are you kidding kid? Do I look like I have time to do that?" With that said he abruptly turned in the other direction and huffed down the street.

Other than that, I had gotten a large variety of people, even a little girl. I had originally asked her mother, but she piped up instead.

"My sissy says that when I get older like her, I can go to the parties! But she told me that I could only drink apple juice, otherwise I would hurt my head and miss school. She said that it hurts like when you spin really fast on the teacups at Disneyland! So only drink apple juice," the innocence in her expression was absolutely priceless.

Now that I had enough advice and tips I headed back to my car. As I walked back, my mind wandered to how I could improve my project. _Maybe I can have transitions between interviews with things that are in the city. That might look cool…_

I was almost at my car, so I decided to instead keep walking down the street, just in the other direction. I pulled out my video camera and began taping the scenery.

In the distance, the cars on the free way zipped by, creating a constant flow of lights. I turned around and saw a late night baseball game going on at the park on the corner. Cheers from the stands echoed in the street. I continued walking in that direction, passing by business that were closing down for the night, the people walking down the street becoming scarce as I walked further away from the downtown into the local park.

By now the night had completely set in, the only light was coming from the stars and the few lamps placed sporadically in the park. The sidewalk had now turned into a pathway that wove in and out of the trees. After a few more minutes I felt a little tired, so I sat down on one of the benches before the bridge that tunneled under the freeway to the other side of the park.

My feet felt relief immediately, and I leaned my head back to gaze at the stars. For once the smog had been blow away by a light wind and created an opening in the sky that revealed the millions of twinkling lights. I felt like I was back at home, lying on the grass in the backyard with my dad, competing to find the Big Dipper and Little Dipper first. _I wonder if I can find it… _I pulled out my video camera to film the moment- not for the project, but for myself. I leaned back again and continued my hunt.

"What the hell was that?" a gruff voice accused.

Startled, I looked around, only to find myself alone in the park. Sitting up all the way, I jumped slightly when I heard something fall to the ground, making a small crack on the cement. _Ok Bella, it's just your imagination playing tricks on you,_ I reassured myself. Just to be safe, I gathered my things and started to leave, when I heard the voice again.

"I said, what the hell was that?"

Another voice spoke up, "I can explain! They came to my house and threatened to take my wife and kids! I had to!"

"Matthew, I trusted you with this information," the other voice seethed, "and now it seems that you have violated the terms we agreed on."

A shiver made its way up my spine, and I hurriedly picked up my bag and began to brusquely walk back to my car. Afraid that in my rush I had left something behind, I dared a glance back towards the bench.

At that moment, a man was shoved against the tunnel wall by a slightly larger man. Hoping that they wouldn't see me, I dove into the nearby bushes for protection.

_What should I do? I can't fight him off… wait, breathe Bella, this is an emergency- call 911!_ I frantically reached in my jean pocket to get my cell phone, but all I felt was the fabric against my hand.

_Oh man! Where is it?_ The scuffling had now grown louder and I could hear the punches being thrown. I searched the nearby ground under the bush, silently sweeping my hand along the ground. Once again I was empty handed, so I peeked my head above the bush to look and see if it had fallen on the path. There it was laying in two pieces under the bench I was just at.

The person I assumed was Matthew, at that moment, emerged from the tunnel, panting and limping towards my hiding spot. I was almost positive that he couldn't see me in the night, but instinctively I ducked down further. A few short strides behind him, the other man approached him. Not sure what to expect, I lifted my video camera a little and tilted the screen down so that I could see what was happening.

"Matthew."

Matthew turned around automatically at the sound of his name, only to be met with the other man's fist cracking into his face. He fell backwards and tried to catch his fall with his arms. With a stomach-turning crunch, his arm gave out under his weight. However, he allowed only a frustrated grunt to escape his clenched teeth.

The other man, taking advantage of this, towered over him, speaking in a deadly voice, "You." Kick. "Will never." Kick. "Do that." Kick. "Again." With one final kick, he then bent down on the ground and got close to Matthew's ear. "Do you understand?"

Unable to speak, Matthew only nodded. Crumpled on the ground and defenseless, he began cough up blood. The attacker stood up and brushed off his pants, walking back in the direction that he came from.

I had been holding my breath and only realized it when I released it as he walked off. Still hiding behind the bush, less than three feet from Matthew, I began to think of what I could do. My cell phone was broken, and I couldn't just drag the man through the park. _Maybe I could run back and get some help in town, _I thought.

Matthew lay on the ground, barely moving when he froze at the sound of a phone ringing, his eyes darting towards the tunnel. From the black, he emerged on the phone, and came back towards Matthew. My body stilled, I became a statue waiting to see what would happen next.

_Please just leave him alone, _I chanted in my head, willing the man to go away.

As he got closer, he hung up the phone. The man's two large hands grabbed Matthew's shirt and pulled him up his eye level. "The boss wants you," he stated. He finished dragging Matthew to his feet, and forced him to walk back with him, mumbling something incoherent.

I waited for five minutes and when I was sure that they would not be returning, I warily stood up from behind the bush. The coast was clear, so I closed the video camera and ran back to the bench to grab what used to be my cell phone. As soon as I picked it up, I ran back into town, never looking back once.

* * *

**A/N: So finally I got to the good stuff… I apologize that it had taken so long to write, but school comes first. ****Please write a review… I really do appreciate them, criticism, applauds, and all that great stuff help improve my writing so it's better for all of you guys!****  
3 Kinsie**


	7. Saving the Day

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, even the every dreamy Edward.

* * *

_Chapter 6_

**Saving the Day**

* * *

Bella's Point of View

In a matter of minutes I was back in town. By this time of night, all of the businesses were closed, and there were no pedestrians out. The adrenaline from my run was fading and I was beginning to pant for air when I spotted a cab driver filling up his car at the gas station across the street. I yelled at him as he finished which caused him to turn and look at me.

"Excuse me! Please…stop." I continued to jog towards him. "I need a ride, the police station. Fast… please." I momentarily paused to open the door before flinging myself inside of the cab. The cabbie scrambled to the drivers seat and peeled out of the gas station after glancing in the rearview mirror and seeing my distress.

Flying through the town, I stared at the camera in my shaking hands. My breathing had returned to normal, but my insides were still screaming at me and the cab driver. _Faster. There's a man in trouble out there._ Soon enough he halted in front of a medium sized brick building and I tossed two twenties at him as I climbed out of the cab. When I got inside, I ran to the front desk and I shoved the camera at the officer behind the counter.

Surprised, he looked up at me and said, "May I help you miss?"

"Yeah….the camera's a man. No…no …there's a man…on the screen." I stuttered then growled in frustration. Clenching my teeth, I took a deep breath, "There is a man. On that camera who might be in trouble. It was an accident, I was just there." I sighed when the officer looked at me pitifully like I was fresh from the Looney bin. In a last attempt I told him, "Just look at the tape."

He scrolled through it backwards as I watched the beating replay before my eyes, when he got the stars part I whispered, "Stop. There." He pressed the play button and watched it. His face remained a mask of indifference, while his eyes tightened in concentration when the man began speaking. Pausing it, he grabbed the desk phone and pressed a button.

"Helen, get the chief. I don't care who's in there, get him now." He paused and looked up at me while turning the phone to speak outside the receiver. "Miss, could you have a seat over there please." He waved me off to the sitting area. Sitting down, I looked back up at him and noticed that he was mumbling into the phone for a few minutes before hanging up.

The evening finally weighed down on me, and I felt a few tears trickle down my cheeks. For an immeasurable amount of time I stared at the chair across from me, blocking the world out, not sure what to think. My trance was broken when a door opened and a big, burly man with curly hair emerged.

He spoke with a gentle authority, "Miss would you come with me." I simply nodded before following him back through the door. We wove through a couple of corridors before arriving in a room with a window on one wall, two chairs, a table, and a tape recorder in the middle. I gulped, thinking of the criminals, killers, and innocent who had been questioned in here before me. Suddenly feeling nervous, I quietly sat down opposite of the officer who clicked on the recorder.

In a formal voice he said, "Hello, my name is Officer McCarty and I have a few questions for you Miss…" he trailed of while gesturing for me to say my name.

"Swan. Bella Swan."

He nodded and continued, "Well Miss Swan, I have reviewed the tape and I would like for you to tell me in detail what exactly happened, where you were, and when this happened." He stopped and waited for me to continue.

"Well, I was out tonight to film for my project for a class that I am taking…" and I proceeded to tell him all of the details of the night and how the stomach turning attack happened. When I finished, he then asked me a few questions to clarify the details, but other than that he thanked me and turned off the tape recorder. He stood up to leave when I stopped him.

"Officer McCarty?" He turned to me. "What do I do next? I mean… how will they find them? Do I have more interviews?..." I trailed off trying to reorganize my thoughts.

"Well Miss Swan, I can't disclose information on the case because we believe that it may be tied to another on-going case. I just got the interview from you, and if in the future we need you again, whether for a trail or not, we will get all of your contact information so that we may get a hold of you. As of now, I ask that you simply go on with your normal everyday routine because we will probably not require anything else from you."

I released the breath that I was holding, and my lungs filled with air and hope. Inside I felt better, and I knew that Officer McCarty was going to do everything possible to help this 'Matthew' man.

"So if you could go back to the front office where the front desk will get all of your contact information. I'll be out there shortly before you leave." He finished and offered me a smile.

I said the only thing that could truly express how I was feeling, "Thank you." With that I walked out towards the front desk.

The guy at the front desk was no longer there and a female with strawberry blonde hair was there instead. Her name was Tanya and she was very helpful and offered me a cup of coffee as I filled out the numerous forms. I signed the final papers and looked up at the clock. It was nearing midnight and I was exhausted, ready to go back to my dorm. My brain was on overload, my body mentally and physically tired, wanting desperately to escape and shut down. It was then that I remembered that my car was back downtown while I was here at the station, which, honestly, I didn't know where I was at. I asked Tanya if I could borrow a phone to call my friend after I showed her my smashed cell and she happily obliged. Not wanting to ruin her night, but not knowing anybody else to call, I dialed Alice's number. At that moment, Officer McCarty came back through the door with a disc; he handed it to me and simply said, "For your project, we'll be in touch," before returning through the door.

The phone rang a few times before a guy answered, " 'ello?" His voice was ridden with sleep. _Oh shoot, I must have dialed the wrong number!_

Quickly I replied, "I'm so sorry I must have dialed the wrong number! I was looking for Alice but I must have got it wrong! Sorry!" and I hung up.

Edward's Point of View

After our Saturday evening dinner, Alice received a call from Jasper, saying that he was tied up at work with Emmett. So she called up Rosalie, Emmett's girlfriend and asked if they could have a "girl's night" at her house. A few minutes later, she disappeared and said that she would see me tomorrow. With just my parents and I left, we talked a little more before they went to bed. So now here I on the couch, flipping through television channels eating popcorn, by myself. I'm not one to normally wallow, but for some reason I felt unsatisfied by the night. I continued to flip channel after channel until I drifted off to sleep.

I jerked awake by the sound of a telephone going off next to me. I flipped it open and said, "Hello?" while rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The person on the other line blurted out a few sentences before hanging up on me. Not quite sure what happened, I set the phone down to see that it was pink. _Alice's phone._ I readjusted on the couch before closing my eyes again, dozing off, when I jumped again at the sound of her phone going off again.

Once again I opened it and said, "Hello, Alice's phone," in hopes of talking to the person before they hung up and thought it was the wrong number.

A small voice said, "May I talk to Alice, please?"

"She's not here right now. She's at a friend's house and won't be back until tomorrow…what's your name so I can tell her to call you back?"

"Bella."

I perked up immediately at the name. "Bella! Hey, it's me Edward! What's up?"

She hesitated for a minute, "Um…not too much. I'm at the police station and I was hoping that Alice could come get me and take me back to my car. But that's ok, I'll find a cab comp-"

I interrupted her, "What do you mean at the police station? Were you arrested?" My mind was running through situations in which she could have done something wrong, but I could not come up with anything that would have landed her in jail.

"No, I wasn't arrested, I just had some stuff to turn in to them and in my rush to get here, I left my car downtown and took a cab. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get back." She sounded tired and her voice sounded like she was leaving something out, but when I saw the time, I figured that she was just exhausted.

"Well, since Alice isn't here, why don't I come pick you up?" I offered.

"Really? You would do that?"

"Of course," I replied, already grabbing my car keys and searching for a piece of paper to write a note to my parents about why I left early, "I'll be there in twenty. Just hang tight."

"Ok Edward. Thank you." She now sounded close to tears as she hung up. I set the phone on the counter while writing a note.

_Went back to town, forgot about a project. See you next weekend._

_Love, Edward._

I left Alice's phone beside it and grabbed my phone in exchange. I scrolled through my contacts and found my buddy Emmett's number. I pressed the send button and waited for the call to go through. A few rings later he answered, " 'Sup Eddie boy?"

"Hey Em, I need a favor. Can you go to the lobby and see if there is a girl there?"

"Sure dude." He said and I heard bustling as he moved through the office. A minute later he said, "Yeah. There is. But how did you know? It's Bella Swan, she came in earlier…" He trailed off confused.

"Okay. Good, just wanted to make sure I was going to the right office. She called Alice and needed a ride. So how exactly do you know her?" I asked him.

"Well, she's been here a good portion of the evening. She filmed a beating that may be the big break in the Black case. Poor kid, she was pretty shaken up, at least she's sleeping now." Emmett sounded like a brother protecting his little sister.

"The Black case?" _Oh gosh._ The Black's were a powerful family that was recently under scrutiny with the law for possible drug dealings amongst other things. And now Bella was trapped in between all of this mess. "So Em, what happened?"

"Edward. You know I can't release details."

I sighed frustrated, "I know, I know. Just what happened to Bella?"

"She was walking in the park when she heard some scuffling, as she was leaving she heard voices. Scared, she hid in the bushes and witnessed one heck of a beating, which from the looks of it may kill the guy. Brought her tape in as soon as she could." He sounded remorseful as he tacked on, "My gut says that the Black's are tied to it."

I was nearing the office so I said, "Okay. Well thanks for taking care of her; I'm almost there, so I'll see you in a few."

"Later man," he said and hung up.

I pulled into the parking lot and jumped out of the car. When I walked in, I saw Bella curled up in a corner chair, fast asleep. Emmett was standing by the desk, watching me. I went up to him and shook his hand and nodded thanks before walking over to Bella and tapping her shoulder. Disoriented, she lifted her head, revealing her brown eyes, reminding me of our first meeting in the coffee shop.

"Hey. You ready to go?" She nodded yes and I helped her up to her feet. Bella was a bit wobbly, so I steadied her by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. We walked out to my Volvo where I opened the door for her and helped her in. Closing the door I hurried back to the driver's side and turned the engine on. _She's so quiet. I wonder what she really saw. Maybe she shouldn't drive; we can go get her car in the morning. _

"Bella, I don't really think it would be a good idea for you to be driving right now. We can go get your car in the morning." I stated, not wanting to be bossy, but trying to enforce what I thought best at the moment.

"Okay," she whispered before falling back into her silence. I began driving back to her and Alice's dorm when I realized that she was going to be by herself.

_Is she going to be okay?_ I thought. _Maybe I should invite her to stay the night at my apartment. Wow, Eddie boy, what if she takes that the wrong way? Is it worth it?_

I decided to voice my thoughts to her. "Bella, I know this is going to sound weird, but just listen for a second. Do you wanna stay at my place? I'll sleep on the couch, but I think it would be best if you weren't by yourself tonight. You don't have to, but it would make me feel better, and when Alice finds out she won't hunt me down for allowing you to stay alone." I added that hoping to lighten the atmosphere a little bit.

I could see her look at me, as she contemplated it for a minute. Finally she said, "That's really sweet of you. Thank you, for everything. I'll stay, but on the couch- you keep your bed."

Happy that she had agreed, I nodded at her conditions as I made a u-turn to head towards my apartment. When we arrived, I helped her out and led her to my room. I gave her a quick tour before going to my bedroom to get a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for her to wear. While she was in the bathroom changing, I pulled out some extra blankets and one of the pillows from my bed and laid them on the couch. Bella came out of the bathroom and trudged towards the couch when she paused before me.

She pulled me into a hug whispering thanks once more before heading to the couch and curling up to sleep. I went to my room and changed before checking on her one more time. Guilt began to eat to me as I watched her lay on the couch. It just wasn't right having her sleep on the couch while I got the bed. So I went with my instincts and picked her limp form off of the couch took her to my room. I tucked her under the covers before walking out to the living room. As I was closing the door, I heard her mumble 'Edward' in her dreams and at that moment I felt like Superman. She was my Lois Lane, and I would do anything for her.

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**A/N: So Spring break is here and I got you another chapter! Please review if you like it- I couldn't resist the Bella/Edward fluff at the end...  
3 Kinsie**

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	8. Beginnings and Ends

_C__hapter 8_**  
Beginnings and Ends  
**

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight characters. Do I look like Stephenie Meyers to you?

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Bella's Point of View

The next morning I woke up in an unfamiliar room. It was large and very masculine. The comforter was a dark navy with light blue mixed in it and all of the furniture was a dark cherry color. I looked for a clock and found it on the small table next to the bed. It read 9:04 am. My eyes wandered to the photo that was placed next to the clock and that is when I realized that I must have been in Edward's room. _It must be his family. Geez, they're all so beautiful._ In the picture, there was Edward and Alice, who were seated on a rock in front of a striking caramel-colored hair woman and a blonde man. It was taken in the middle of a meadow where wildflowers were blooming everywhere. After staring at it for a few more minutes, I decided to get out of bed. I quickly went down the hall to the bathroom and changed into my clothes from yesterday. When I got back to Edward's room I made his bed and placed the clothes he had lent me in a neat stack at the end of it.

I walked out into the living room to find that Edward was on the couch sleeping. He legs had half fallen off, and the blankets were misconstrued and tangled beneath him. I'm not sure how he was comfortable, but he looked like he could sleep like the dead.

I froze, thinking: _The dead._ Flashes of what I taped last night raced through my head.

_Come on Bella, push it aside,_ I chided myself._ You've seen more gruesome things in movies, just do what the officer said- 'move on and live your life like normal'. _I inhaled a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then released it, immediately feeling a sense of calm wash over me.

_I can do this. I am strong; he is strong and will be just fine. Get on with life. _When I finished my self pep-talk, I headed into the kitchen to try and find something to make for breakfast. In the refrigerator there were six eggs, a half a gallon of milk, cheese, and lunch meat. After digging around the kitchen drawers quietly so I wouldn't wake Edward, I managed to find enough things to make French toast.

I was in the middle of making my second piece when I heard a noise coming from the living room. _He must be up, _I thought. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Edward shuffled into the kitchen.

"Morning," I said as I turned towards him. I half smiled, feeling a little guilty for invading his kitchen.

_Hopefully he won't be upset at me for using his kitchen and food._

He rubbed his eyes and mumbled back, "Yeah. Morning to you too. Did you sleep okay?"

"Um, yeah. Thank you." I could feel my face flush when I remembered that he had moved me last night. "I made breakfast would you like some?"

"Sure, it smells good," he smiled at me.

I turned to get a plate for him but stopped short when I couldn't remember where they were. _Top cabinet?_

"They're on your left," Edward said after realizing that I was lost.

"Thanks," I replied.

After I got all of our breakfast served, we sat and ate at his kitchen counter together in silence.

Edward cleared his throat and spoke, "So did you have any plans for today?"

"No, I was just going to do homework. You?"

"Nah, nothing special. Would you like to do something?" he asked.

"Like what?" I asked.

"We could go mini golfing or down to the beach and chill for a bit. You up for it?" His green eyes pierced me as if he were waiting for me to reject him.

_Who can say no to him?_

"Sure."

A few hours later after going to my dorm to get my swimsuit we were walking down to the beach. As soon as I saw the sand, excitement bubbled up within me.

"Come on," I urged Edward on as he gazed longingly at the ice cream cart, "we can get some of that later, but the beach my friend is calling to us!" I took off my flip-flops, shoved them in my bag, and raced towards the deep blue water.

I stopped abruptly when I felt the millions of grains of sand begin to burn the bottom of my feet. "Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!" I jumped up while warning Edward who was close behind me. When I paused to get my shoes back out I was hit with a huge force and lifted up off the ground. Screaming, I dropped my bag and saw that it was Edward who was my attacker. He raced eagerly towards the water while holding me over his shoulder. Seconds later I was pulled around cradle style into Edward's arms and I saw the huge grin on his face. It was almost too big…

Realizing what he was doing, I said, "Oh no you don't!"

The grin grew larger and mischievous.

I gave in and held my arms open, "Okay then drop me!"

"As you wish," he said as he opened his arms. However, at the last moment, I grabbed onto him dragging him into the cool water with me.

I came up taking a huge gulp of air and grinning bigger than I had before. Edward did the same and had a grin matching mine. We walked together back to our deserted belongings to dry off when he peeled off his wet shirt.

_Holy cow, I think I just died and went to Heaven. He's ripped! _I gaped for a few moments and tried my hardest to stop. _Come on Bella! He's going to notice you ogling him! Do something quick!_ I grabbed my beach towel and spread it out on the sand before plopping down on it. I tried my best to look anywhere but at him. _Ugh! It's just a guy! Get over it Bella!_ When I finally cleared my head I looked up and saw him following my lead and spreading out his towel.

When he sat down he said, "So do you wanna play twenty questions?"

"Sure. You first?"

He shook his head, "Nah, ladies first."

_What do I want to know about Edward? Past girlfriends? Nah. Hmm…_ "What's your middle name?"

Edward chuckled and replied, "That's easy. Anthony. What's your middle name?"

Now it was my turn to laugh. "That wasn't very creative! It's Marie."

"It suits you," he stated.

"Thanks. So, what's your favorite color?"

"Blue. What's your most embarrassing moment?" he asked.

My cheeks instantly turned bright red. "Um… well, uh…" I stumbled over my words trying to find the best way to explain it.

"Come on Swan, it can't be that bad!"

I took a deep breath and began, "Well, last year when I was walking my dog Rocky, he got scared when we walked past some sprinklers and got wrapped around my legs. He tripped me and started running with me dragging behind him. I tried to stop him but he weighs more than me. He ran past the local grocer where I grabbed a post to try and stop and ended up knocking over a fruit stand. It was everywhere and all over me."

I grimaced when I thought back to how Mrs. Laury, the store owner had come out and yelled at me while her grandson, Jack, who was in my class, was standing behind her laughing. Unfortunately he told the whole school, so for the rest of the week my face was stained red as people would come up and ask about it.

I twisted my hands uncomfortably as I waited for Edward's reaction to my clumsiness. There was a brief half-hearted laugh before a series of deep belly laughs. I smiled sheepishly, but his laughter was contagious, and before I knew it I was laughing right along with him.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly and all too soon Edward was dropping me off at my dorm and saying goodbye. Before he left he reminded me of the Ice Cream Social and said he would come get me and Alice at six o' clock. Not once did I think about the previous night. Just like Officer McCarty suggested last night, life does go on.

Third Person Point of View

Paul walked in tugging a small framed man behind him. He carelessly threw him on the ground, in front of the large desk before abruptly leaving the room. He was now at the mercy of the boss.

Slowly, the leather back chair behind the desk turned, and revealed at man with hair and eyes that were blacker than an oil slick. He peered down at the man on the floor and spoke.

"Matthew. It's a pleasure to see you again." His voice was low, clear, and held a menacing tone. Matthew looked up at him from the floor, trying to focus on the face of who was speaking, but he was struggling by trying to stay conscious. The man spoke again, "I had hoped to see you under better circumstances, but I'm afraid we have run into a complication. Perhaps you can explain this to me?"

As he said this he rose from the chair and walked from behind the desk only to crouch on the floor to be eye to eye with Matthew.

Matthew shook his head wearily to try and clear it before he replied in a shaky voice, "Mr. Black, it's not my fault…" His body was wracked with sobs as he tried to continue, but words failed him. Matthew clenched his teeth to prevent them from chattering as he choked out, "I'm so sorry."

"What did you tell them?" Mr. Black sneered.

"They were going to take my family! Please, you have to understand." Matthew cried from the ground.

"What did you tell them?"

Three swift kicks to Matthew's side with his pointed boot got him to speak.

"I told them of the accounts in the Cayman Islands. That's it, I promise!"

Mr. Black looked him straight in the eye, a deadly anger brewing behind his calm demeanor. "You're promises mean nothing to me now. You promised that this was of the highest confidentiality. You promised that the money would be secure no matter what. You promised, you promised, and you failed." He paused standing up and walking back to his desk.

"There is no room for failure here," he hissed as he opened the desk drawer and pulled out the gun. The last thing Matthew heard was the loud bang of the bullet, followed by eternal darkness.

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**A/N: So, it's been a super long time, and I apologize. Hopefully I'll get more time... I just moved to Australia and school is super easy, so during classes I've been writing. Enjoy, and if you have any ideas, let me know and I'll give them some thought! :)  
Kinsie**


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